directional planes

cranial

• direction toward the head

• lungs are cranial to the intestines

caudal

• direction toward the tail

• intestines are caudal to the lungs

rostral and caudal

• terms for direction within the head to mean toward the nose (rostral)

• or toward the tail (caudal)

median (midsagittal) plane

• one that passed through the body craniocaudally (from head to tail)

• cuts animal in identical halves

• separates medial and lateral

  • medial is closer to the middle, lateral is further from the middle

sagittal plane

• any plane parallel to the median plane

• it would be either left or right to the median plane

transverse plane

• is at right angles to the median plane and divides the body into cranial and caudal parts

• cross sectional view of the body

• think those clay cutting videos

• rostral vs caudal

horizontal plane

is at right angles to both the median and the transcare planes and would divide the body into dorsal and ventral segments

dorsal plane

divides the body into top and bottom

dorsal

• the back or upper surface of an animal

• back

medial

• the middle or center

• nearer to the median or midsagittal plane

• lungs are medial to the ribs

lateral

• opposite of medial

• the ribs are lateral to the lungs

superficial

• the surface or to a structure situated near the surface

• the skin is superficial to the muscles

deep

• a structure situated at a deeper level in relation to a specific reference point

• the femur is deep to the quadriceps muscles

proximal

• nearest the center of the body or the point of origin

• femur is proximal to the hood

• closer to the body

distal

• means relatively farther from the center of the body

• the hoof is distal to the femur

• further from the body

palmar

• refers to the caudally facing surface of the forelimb distal to the carpus (wrist joint)

• dorsal refers to the cranial side

• the palm

plantar

• the caudally facing surface of the hindlimb distal to the tarsus(ankle)

• dorsal refers to the cranial side

• the foot base

prone

• dorsal aspect of the body is upmost

• tummy down

supine

• refers to a position in which the ventral aspect of the body or palmar or plantar is uppermost

• tummy up

hock vs stifle

1. the hock is distal to the stifle

2. the stifle is medial to the hock